Russian authorities have released Marc Fogel, an American teacher imprisoned in Russia since 2021 for possessing medical marijuana. The operation was finalized on Tuesday when Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy in the Middle East, arrived in Moscow to bring Fogel back after more than three years behind bars—that could have stretched to at least ten more.
The negotiations remained under wraps until Witkoff’s private jet was tracked near the Russian capital, marking the first visit of a high-ranking U.S. official to Moscow since fall 2021, when CIA Director William Burns unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine.
Mike Waltz, a national security adviser to Trump, suggested that Fogel’s release could signal a potential thaw in U.S.-Russia relations. “President Trump, with the support of Steve Witkoff and his team, negotiated an agreement that represents a gesture of goodwill from Russia and a step toward de-escalation in the run-up to a peace process in Ukraine,” Waltz stated, without elaborating on whether any concessions were made by the United States.
Fogel, 63, a Pittsburgh native, had been working as an English teacher at the Anglo-American School of Moscow before his arrest in August 2021 at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. He was caught carrying a small quantity of medical marijuana, which had been prescribed by his doctor in the U.S. for chronic pain. In June 2022, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
His case sparked significant controversy in the United States, particularly due to the delay in designating him as “wrongfully detained person”. His family was especially critical of the Biden administration’s decision to exclude him from the August 2024 prisoner swap that secured the release of Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich.
Fogel’s mother, 95-year-old Malphine ‘Mafa’ Fogel, had directly appealed to Trump to secure her son’s freedom. She even attended the former president’s rally last July in Butler, Pennsylvania—the same event where an assassination attempt was made on the man who would later become the 47th president of the United States.
Following the news of Fogel’s release, his family expressed profound gratitude toward the White House. “We are incredibly relieved and grateful. After more than three years in detention, Marc is finally home,” said his wife, Jane, and their sons, Ethan and Sam.
According to sources within the Trump administration, Witkoff’s role extends beyond securing hostage releases. The New York real estate tycoon-turned-diplomat has reportedly been tasked by Trump with opening a backchannel to Moscow and exploring potential terms for a settlement in Ukraine. Insiders suggest that Witkoff has already engaged in direct talks with key figures within Putin’s inner circle, as well as with Saudi and Qatari officials, in an attempt to mediate an end to the protracted war.
Trump, who has repeatedly voiced skepticism about the effectiveness of U.S. military aid to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has hinted that continued American funding will come with new conditions—including Ukraine’s potential concession of rare earth minerals and other strategic resources.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the White House announced that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will travel to meet Zelensky to discuss a possible deal granting the United States access to Ukrainian rare earth elements in exchange for security guarantees. “This war MUST and WILL END SOON,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
